Browse Archives
Check out news and opinion posts across the years
A Dozen or So Resources for Smaller Churches
Those of us whose ministry is in smaller and rural churches have been blessed over the past five years by the publication of several very helpful books. Collectively, they assist in understanding the culture, processes...
Don’t Buy It: Get Media Smart!
Once in a while, server space somewhere is gobbled up by a Web site that's superior. Not just good or interesting, but superior. "Don't Buy It: Get Media Smart!" from PBS Kids is such a site. Funded by the Corporation...
“Don’t Buy It” Fills Gap in Media Literacy Training, Creators Say
When the Corporation for Public Broadcasting invited grant proposals for educational Web sites for kids, KCTS responded. The staff at Seattle Public Television brainstormed ideas and ultimately created the successful...
Baptist Relief Group Seeks Aid for Liberia
The relief arm of the Baptist World Alliance has renewed a plea for urgent humanitarian aid to Liberia, a West African nation plagued recently by escalated fighting in a 14-year civil war. Liberian Baptists in exile...
Baylor regents drop investigation of Jaclanel McFarland
WACO, Texas–A two-month Baylor University investigation found "insufficient evidence" to remove a member of the Baptist school's board of regents suspected of tipping off students about an on-campus drug sting...
“Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl”
"Yo ho! Yo ho! A pirate's life for me!" If you have ever been to Walt Disney World in Florida or Disneyland in California, those words are probably welded into your brain. One of the best rides of the park is now a...
Officials Shift Blame for Dubious Claims in Bush Address
While taking responsibility for allowing bad intelligence to creep into President Bush's State of the Union address, CIA Director George Tenet said Wednesday that a White House official insisted the unconfirmed claim...
That’s What It’s All About
From bumper stickers to T-shirts, baseball caps to billboards, Americans enjoy their freedom of speech. From bumper stickers to T-shirts, baseball caps to billboards, Americans enjoy their freedom of speech. A car's...
Sidewalks in the Kingdom: New Urbanism and the Christian Faith
Eric Jacobsen writes with a compelling and pragmatic heart. He is an associate pastor living in Missoula, Mont., and ministering to the city. He pleads with leaders of urban churches not to forsake their settings of...
RELEVANT Magazine Examines God, Life, Progressive Culture
Some Web sites buzz with energy. The content hums, the graphics flicker, the overall feel is electric. RELEVANT Magazine online is such a site. The young Christians behind RELEVANT wrote that they "want to break...
Mission Oklahoma City
Billy Graham just visited Oklahoma City for the fourth time. Previous stops included crusades in 1956 (the year of my birth) and again in 1983. He also came to town in 1995, immediately after the Oklahoma City bombing,...
“Whale Rider”
Filmmakers do not meet to come up with themes for the best films released in a given year, but it sometimes seems like that is the case. Two years ago, many of the best films dealt with altered realities: "A Beautiful...
Pat Robertson Prays for Change in Supreme Court
Broadcaster Pat Robertson is urging his followers to pray that God will remove three justices from the United States Supreme Court. "One justice is 83 years old, another has cancer, and another has a heart condition,"...
Teens Give Mixed Reviews to Childhood Church Experience
Teenagers who attended church as children can cite religious facts, made friends and had fun, but many don't retain enough Bible knowledge to apply biblical principles in decision-making, according to a new survey. A...
Gospel Magicians Give Earthly Tricks Heavenly Meanings
As the church adopts new media to preach the gospel to an increasingly "visual" population, there's one performance art that's been in Christianity's employ for half a century: magic. This week, the Fellowship of...
Selling Fear and the Politics of Anxiety
President Bush is about to face some tough questions concerning the war in Iraq. The fact that the United States has been unable to locate any weapons of mass destruction has created concern for many people, including...
President Issues Ban on Racial Profiling by Federal Officers
President Bush has issued the first ban on racial profiling by federal law enforcement officers, with exceptions for preventing terrorist acts. The new policy, according to the Washington Post, covers about 120,000...
Debate Goes On Despite Debunking of ‘James Ossuary’
The announcement last month that a limestone box thought to have once held the bones of Jesus' brother is a forgery seemed to put dispute over the so-called "James Ossuary" to rest. But the debate is anything but over,...
High School Newspapers Hit By Budget Cuts
High school newspapers, long viewed as a laboratory for fledgling journalists, have a rich tradition including censorship battles between idealistic students and cautious administrators. Now, students are also learning...
America Needs Straight Talk About Iraq
One of Bush's strengths is his moral certitude. It is also one of his greatest weaknesses, especially when his straight talk morphs into embellished speech. After a Tom Cruise-like landing on the USS Abraham Lincoln,...
Courageous Wisdom
The Westborough High School golf team made history last fall after winning the Massachusetts state championship, but not because they played a better golf game. It's what happened after they had the first-place trophy...